Toy railroad



Feb. 9 1926.

R. G. SPENCER TOY RAILROAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '11 Spa/7c Filed April 21, 1925 Patented Feb. 9, 19256.

UNITED STATES- arass nor 0.. SPENCER, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

TOY RAILROAD. I

Application filed April 21,1925.

To all 1071007, it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROY Gr. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved toy railroad, and it has reference to a structure of this kind which embodies a base acting as a roadbed, and novel means for yieldably supporting and clamping the tracks upon the base.

Que aim is to provide a road bed which is' nadc up of detachably connected sections of shape and size to permit the complete bed to be made for accommodating a circular, ovate, or other configuration of track.

A further aim is to provide elastic means to be interposed between the road bed sections and the track cross ties, to absorb shocks and to eliminate undue noise.

Other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same;

Figure-1 is a top planview of a fragment of a toy railroad constructed in accordance with the present invention.

I Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken approximately upon the plane of the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a clamp.

Figure 5 is a like view of a different embodiment of. this clamp.

Figure 6 is a view like Figure 3, showing a ditterent method of mounting the tracks upon the road bed.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the type of clamp used in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan view showing one form of completed road bed.

As before intimated, the invention is characterized in one instance by the provision of a novel imitation road bed. To explain,

it is to be said that this road bed is natural- 1y of a shape having an outline quite similar to the outline marked by the particular formation of track to be placed thereon. As

is customary in tracks of this kind, th major Wilt-m Wil h h r amul t t p.

Serial No. 24,527.

plan or somewhat ovate in top plan. The

road bed must therefore be made up of secs tions which will permit them to be formulated in one of these two outlines. In the disclosure, the roadbed is formed of a plurality" of; relatively thin oblong boards 1.

each board having a substantially V-shaped notch formed at one end and a V-shaped projection 2 at its opposite end. The projection 2 is adapted for reception in the complemental notch in the adjacent. board. The boards are to be arranged in end to end abutting relation in the same horizontal plane and to permit them tobc set up upon a table or polished floor, they are provided on their mulersides with rubber buttons 3.

Ihese will prevent marl-mg oi the surtacc upon which they rest. In Figure 8, I have shown a road bed, the marginal shape oi? which lssubstantially ovate, and in this conshapes and sizes, arranged to provide anv desired shape, the sections being detachably connected together in a manner to permit them to be readily dismantled to be stored awav. v

In addition to the roadbed, the invention comprehends novel means for mounting the track 6 thereon. In this connection, it will be seen that the track is made up of outer rails 7 -tor reception of the wheels of the train, and a central rail 8 adapted to conduct electricity. It is of course not essen tial, but preferable, to construct the device for accommodating electrically operated trains. As is usual, the rails are connected. together by cross ties 9 of customary cross section. the base or bed in two different ways. In Figures 2 and 3, one form of connection is shown, and in Figure 6, another form is shown. In Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that wooden blocks 10, serving as sub-ties, rest upon the boards 1. A sheet of rubber ll is arranged upon the top and bottom These cross ties are connected to tracks are joined together;

of each block, so that the block serves as clamping finger 15, and this'is adapted to engage over the opposite endeXtension of the adjacent tie 9 where the sectionsot the Between the joints, the arch is simply provided with a single tongue 15 as shown in Figure 5. Otherwise, the two clamps are identical. The clamping tongues 15 may be resilicnt to permit ready connection and dis conned,

tion of the cross tie.

In Figure 6, the spacing flaps are eliminated and a sheet of rubber 16 simply interposed between the crosstie 9 and the base board 1. Under-this construction, the clamp 17 varies slightly, thesame embodying a horizontally apertured attaching flange 18, and an upstanding intermediate portion 19, and a pair of tongues '20, to

take over the end portions oit'the-cross ties.

This form is less expensive and in some instances is probably just as satisfactory. In the first construction, the tracks are spaced above the baseboard and this-is advantageous under some conditions.

From the: foregoing description it will be seen that the novel toy railroad has been provided, which embodies asectional roadbed, capable of being assembled to meet the, requirements of any particular conditions, the same being such that it will accommodate the ordinary marketed. track sections ot the various shapes and sizes.

The shocks to which the track is ordinarily subjected are absorbed by the elastic sub ties upon which they rest, and the novel means which serves to simultaneously hold the tracks upon the sub ties and the sub ties upon the base boards is a feature upon which emphasis is to be laid. It is thought that these details will become readily apparent after the description is considered in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

Vhile the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to, it desired.

I claim:

1; In a toy 'ailroad otthe class described, a sectional track and an'artiiicial roadbed therefor, said roadbed being made up of a plurality of base boards having adjacent ends arranged Lin abutting relation, and channel shaped connectors fitted upon the opposite longitudinal edges of theboards and bridging the joints between the abutting ends, said connectors being detachably connected with said boards.

2. In a toy railroad, a base, a track upon said base, resilient means interposed between said track and base, said track including cross ties, and means for detachably hold- ,ing the crossv ties of the track upon said resilient means, said holding means embodying resilient tongues engageable with the extended end portions ofthe cross ties.

3. In a toy railroad-structure, a sectional base, sub-ties upon said base, resilient means on said sub-ties, a track including cross ties resting upon the resilient means of said sub-ties, and clamps for simultaneously cross ties upon said sub-ties.

-noY'e.sP No n.

holding said sub-ties upon the base and said 

